Dental problems in cats include some of the most diseases in veterinary practice. Due to its location and late symptoms, it is difficult to detect these pathologies at home. For this reason, they develop quickly and can cause serious damage to the feline's mouth, including tooth loss. To avoid reaching this point, prevention is essential.
Most feline oral problems can be prevented with proper hygiene, both at home and at work. In addition, it is advisable to routinely check the feline's mouth to detect the disease in time. Do you want to know how? In this article on our site we have gathered the main dental problems in cats, with their causes, symptoms and treatments.
Feline Periodontal Disease
Feline periodontal disease is the most common pathology in cats. Appears in around 80% of domestic felines over 2 or 3 years of age. It is a series of pathological processes that affect the structures that hold the teeth in the mouth, such as the gums, the periodontal ligaments and the alveolar bone.
Like most dental problems in cats, this disease appears due to lack of hygieneFood debris and certain substances from saliva accumulate on the teeth, favoring the establishment of bacteria that form the well-known plaques. If the disease progresses, the bacteria enter into the alveolar cavity and begin to affect the gums, ligaments and bones, causing periodontitis. Little by little, the teeth lose their grip and eventually fall out.
During this process, the absence of oxygen in the alveolar cavity favors the appearance of anaerobic bacteria, which release foul-smelling sulfur compounds. Therefore, the main symptom of periodontitis is halitosis or bad mouth odor Other symptoms are the appearance of plaque and calculus on the teeth, difficulty eating and even anorexia.
To avoid the appearance of this type of dental problems in cats, it is very important to clean the teeth daily. Additionally, an annual professional cleaning is recommended to remove plaque and calculus. When gingivitis already exists, it is necessary to apply drugs, such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. If periodontitis is very advanced, extraction of affected teeth and even deeper surgery may also be necessary.
Feline Resorptive Injury
Feline resorptive lesion is one of the main oral problems in cats. It is estimated that it appears in up to 75% of felines, being more common in the elderly. This is the destruction of calcified dental tissues, ie enamel, dentin and cementum. Its cause is the abnormal activation of cells known as odontoclasts, which begin to destroy the neck and root of the teeth.
Why these cells are activated is still unknown, although has been associated with other dental problems in cats, such as periodontitis. It has also been linked to certain viruses, such as feline immunodeficiency virus, herpesvirus, and feline calicivirus. Other authors defend that it may be due to failures in the mineralization of the teeth, whether of genetic origin or due to a diet deficient in minerals.
As for the symptoms, cats with feline dental resorption appear drowsy, lack of appetite, halitosis, excessive salivation, head shaking and weight loss. When any of these symptoms are detected, it is essential to go to the veterinarian for early detection. Treatment usually consists of extracting the affected tooth, followed by a biopsy to determine the cause.
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Feline gingivostomatitis
Gingivostomatitis is one of the main oral diseases in cats. It is a very serious inflammation of the mouth that can appear locally, or affect the entire oral cavity, including the gums, the pharynx and even, language. When the disease progresses, it can affect the tissues surrounding the teeth, causing alveolar mucositis.
Gingivostomatitis is caused by an infection, which can be bacterial or viral. The bacteria that have been linked to this type of oral problem in cats are Pasteurella multocida and Tannerella forsythia. Viruses include calicivirus, immunodeficiency virus, and feline leukemia virus. However, the cause of the severity of the disease is not the microorganisms, but the uncontrolled reaction of the cat's immune system when it detects them on the mucous membranes or plaque.
As a result of the inflammation, the cat has lesions in its mouth that prevent it from grooming and eating normally It appears untidy, loses weight and drooling. As for the treatment, it consists of cleaning the teeth and the administration of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and analgesics. In severe cases, it may be necessary to extract affected teeth or other surgery.
Feline alveolar expansion
Other dental problems in cats are those that affect the bone on which the teeth sit: the alveolar bone. This is the case of alveolar expansion or chronic alveolar osteitis, a pathology common in elderly cats.
In this disease, the alveolar bone expands as a result of fibrosis, inflammation, or due to abnormal proliferation of bone tissue. This bone growth puts pressure on the teeth which are forced to shift. In addition, they tend to become harder due to an increase in cement. When the disease progresses, a resorptive lesion and even periodontitis may appear.
The treatment of this pathology consists of the extraction of the affected teeth, or their elevation or odontoplasty, which allow them to be adapted to the available gap.
How to avoid dental problems in cats?
Given that the oral diseases in cats described in the previous sections can become serious and significantly impair the animal's quality of life, prevention is always the best solution. To do this, we recommend maintaining adequate oral he alth since the animal is a puppy, since this way it can better get used to handling its mouth and teeth. If you have adopted an adult cat, it is also possible to educate it with a lot of patience and perseverance. In this case, you will have to go little by little and present the animal with the tools and hygiene products so that it smells them and interacts with them. At that time, you should reward him with words of encouragement, caresses, treats or whatever you consider most appropriate to get the cat to associate that product with positive stimuli. As the days go by, you can bring the products closer to the mouth and reward. This process can take time until you manage to introduce, for example, a toothbrush and brush. It is very important not to force the animal because you run the risk of ruining everything that has been achieved so far.
Now, how do you keep your cat's mouth and teeth he althy and avoid dental problems?
- Daily brushing: in the same way that we brush our teeth to keep them he althy, it is important to establish this habit in our daily routine. our cats. To do this, we will use a special toothpaste for cats, never ours because it can be harmful. See "How to clean your cat's teeth".
- Toothpaste sprays and mouthwashes: they are usually diluted in water and make it easier to keep tartar formation at bay. They do not replace brushing, but both methods can be used in a complementary way and alternate them.
- Powdered Algae: Also known as PlaqueOff toothpastes, these algae mix with the cat's regular food and help remove tartar created and prevent further development.
- Toys: on the market we find toys designed to prevent the formation of bacterial plaque. Likewise, toys made with rope also help maintain dental he alth.
- Snacks: both its structure and its composition are designed to prevent the formation of tartar in cats and, therefore, the development of dental problems. Some can be used daily, while others should be used only sporadically.
For adequate oral hygiene, the ideal is to establish a routine that combines several of the methods mentioned. For example, toys can be part of the cat's environmental enrichment, brushing can be daily or alternated with mouthwashes and algae powder. Of course, when in doubt, it is always advisable to consult the veterinarian.
